Tourism in county up despite wet weather

Wil Petty Staff Writer jpetty@civitasmedia.com

August 15, 2013

Despite a rainy summer, Ashe County tourism numbers seem to be increasing in 2013.

“All areas of the county with the ability to attract visitors are working hard to make it happen,” Cabot Hamilton, executive director of the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce said. “We can really be proud of Ashe County.”

Estimates for 2013, calculated by number of visitors the Chamber had, shows visitation in the county up 6.6 percent compared to the first seven months of last year.

Winter quarter numbers were down 5.3 percent compared to last year, but April through July visitation increased 10.4 percent.

Hamilton said he believed a main reason for the increase was the collaboration between West Jefferson and the N.C. DOT which helped make the town more pedestrian friendly. In turn, West Jefferson is more aesthetically pleasing to tourists.

Hamilton said efforts by other organizations such as the Olde Towne Jefferson Business Association and Greater Lansing Area Development also contributed to the increase in tourism.

Niche shops and businesses around the area are also reaping in the benefit.

Josh Williams, a manager of the Ashe County Cheese shop said business has been growing so far in 2013.

“We have had a steady increase every year for the last 15 years,” he said.

Williams said the weather has not kept any business away from the company, which is open year-round.

Ashe County Cheese sales peak from Memorial Day weekend until Christmas, having a longer tourist season than many locations in the county.

Hotels in the area are also having higher occupancy rates than previous years.

“We are doing better than last year,” Raj Chauhan, owner of the Nation’s Inn said. “Our occupancy is higher.”

Chauhan said that because the economy is improving, more people are coming to Ashe County for festivals, events and vacations.

While the number of occupants in hotels is higher, storms in the area have still prevented the businesses from reaching their full potential.

“Weather has caused cancellations,” Chauhan said.

Chauhan said that he believed his occupancy would be up an additional 10 percent if not for cancellations due to the weather.

While shops and hotels are thriving this year, businesses catered for outdoor tourism are not.

The River Girl Fishing Company in Todd is open from April through Nov. 1. Owner Kelly McCoy said this year, business in June and July was way down.

McCoy said her business is not low on tourists, but the weather and water levels determine if the river enthusiasts are allowed to go in the water. During the week of July 4, River Girl had to cancel five days of trips with 100 people scheduled each day.

“Many do try to call and reschedule,” she said. “But it has still been a pretty tough season.”

Although June and July hurt the business, McCoy said that River Girl is having the busiest August the fishing company has experienced in a long time.